It’s not possible to fully protect your home from mold. Mold requires little to grow: just a food source, the right temperature and moisture, which makes every home susceptible to mold. Fortunately, there are three easy ways you can prevent mold in your home and its negative effects—on your health and your home.
Protect your foundation
Make sure the ground slopes away from your home’s foundation. If water, from melting snow or falling rain, builds up against the foundation when there are cracks, it seeps inside.
Other ways you can prevent basement flooding, its subsequent water damage and mold:
- Regularly check for cracks in the foundation, visible on either the inside or outside.
- Make sure the windows seal tightly
- Use thermal imaging to detect leaks you can’t see yourself.
Protect your roof
The roof is a crucial part of your home—if not the most important part. It must be in good condition, as it shelters you, and everything you own, from the outdoor elements, which, in Canada, can be harsh and destructive.
If there’s even a small leak in the roof, it’s imperative you fix it. As soon as water enters your home, it takes only 24 to 48 hours for mold to develop (if the affected area is not yet dry).
What’s more, because you probably don’t hang out in the attic all that often, you probably don’t notice the roof leaking. Keep in mind the tendency for mold to develop in the attic, and make an effort to check it regularly.
Annual roof inspections are a great way to determine whether all parts of the roof, from the shingles to the gutters, are intact. And, if they’re not, you’ll have a better sense of what you need to repair.
Today, aerial drones make roof inspections much easier. Still a professional inspector is required to properly handle the drone, but he or she no longer needs to physically search every corner and crevice of the client’s roof. The results, however, are just as, if not more, reliable.
Ventilate indoors
Besides repairing your roof and foundation, ensure there is sufficient air flow indoors to reduce humidity, control moisture and prevent mold.
How can you do this? It’s simple. Here are a few steps you can take:
- Install a dehumidifier
- Quickly dry any water from spills, leaks, etc.
- Keep the relative humidity set between 30 and 50 per cent
- Keep the air conditioner’s drip pans clean & its drain lines clear
While there are certainly more than three things you can do to prevent mold in your home, repairing the foundation, keeping the roof in good shape and improving the air flow are all great starting points.
The bottom line: You must get to the root of the problem, which in many cases is a source of moisture. As soon as you detect and eliminate the source of moisture, you prevent mold.
If you suspect there’s already mold in your home, book a professional mold inspection today.
By John Ward
Since 2005, Mold Busters has provided reliable air quality testing, mold inspections and removal and remediation services in Ontario and Quebec. Mold Busters’ experienced and certified technicians offer same-day appointments and a wide range of affordable services to suit each client’s needs. For fast and effective service in residential or commercial buildings, Mold Busters can help.